China

The Ministry of Public Security keeps a database of people convicted of or penalised for sexual offences, which schools and other bodies working closely with minors must query before hiring. It is not open to the public. This page covers mainland China only; Hong Kong has its own page. Visas are refused, and entry denied, to anyone who may "disrupt social and public order, or engage in other illegal or criminal activities" (Exit and Entry Administration Law arts. 21(3), 25(2)). Officials need not give reasons.

Full profile · Last verified: October 27, 2026 · All countries

Each statement is labelled Law (statute, regulation or court ruling), Policy (official guidance) or Reported practice (what officials report doing). Items marked Recheck could not be fully confirmed from a primary source.

The country's own registry

Law The state maintains an information inquiry system on people with records of sexual assault, abuse, trafficking or violent harm, offering free checks to bodies in close contact with minors (Law on the Protection of Minors, art. 98).
Source: Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors (2020 revision), arts. 62, 98, 126, 130 (Supreme People's Court Gazette)
Law Under the 2020 joint opinion of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Public Security builds a database of people convicted of rape, forcible indecency or indecency with a child (Criminal Law arts. 236, 237), people not prosecuted under Criminal Procedure Law art. 177(2) for those acts, and people administratively penalised for indecency (Public Security Administration Punishments Law art. 44). Sealed juvenile records are excluded (art. 4).
Source: Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Security: Opinion on Establishing the Pre-Employment Inquiry System for Sexual Offence Information of School Staff (20 August 2020), as republished by Lanshan County Public Security Bureau
Law The database is not public. Results go to education authorities and state only whether the person has such a record and its type; anyone who learns of a record must keep it confidential (arts. 8, 10, 14).
Source: Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Security: Opinion on Establishing the Pre-Employment Inquiry System for Sexual Offence Information of School Staff (20 August 2020), as republished by Lanshan County Public Security Bureau
Reported practice Some localities have published offenders' details. In 2016 the Cixi City Procuratorate (Zhejiang) and local agencies issued measures to publish, on official websites and social media, the details of people convicted of serious sexual offences against minors after release, normally for 5 years and in some cases for life, as reported by CNR via CCTV.com.
Source: CCTV.com / CNR: Cixi, Zhejiang issues measures to publish personal information of people convicted of sexual offences against minors (19 June 2016)
Recheck: Only 2016 press coverage was found; confirm whether the Cixi measures (or similar local schemes) remain in force.

Entry and admissibility

Law Visas shall not be issued to a foreigner who "may endanger China's national security or interests, or disrupt social and public order, or engage in other illegal or criminal activities", or who was deported or repatriated and whose no-entry period has not expired. Visa authorities need not give reasons (Exit and Entry Administration Law, art. 21).
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province); National Immigration Administration: Guide on Visa Extension, Change and Reissuance for Foreigners (incl. circumstances in which visas shall not be issued)
Law The same grounds also bar entry at the border, together with lacking valid documents or intending activities that do not match the visa. Border inspection authorities need not give reasons for denying entry (art. 25). A refused foreigner is ordered to return and may be forced to (art. 26).
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)
Law The law sets no list of foreign convictions that bar entry; art. 21 also allows refusal in "other circumstances in which visa authorities consider a visa should not be issued".
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)
Policy The State Department states that PRC border officials may deny entry "without warning or explanation" and that U.S. consular staff cannot intervene.
Source: U.S. Department of State: China International Travel Information
Recheck: travel.state.gov returned 403 to the build network; read from a Wayback Machine copy dated 8 March 2026 (page last updated 21 January 2025). Confirm against the live page.

Visa / travel authorisation

Policy U.S. citizens must obtain a visa before arriving, with at least six months' passport validity. The State Department lists a tourist visa as required.
Source: U.S. Department of State: China International Travel Information
Recheck: Read from a Wayback Machine copy dated 8 March 2026. Confirm on the live page, and confirm the U.S. is still not covered by China's unilateral visa-free policy (no official list including the U.S. was found).
Policy Applications in the U.S. are made online through the COVA system, after which the passport is submitted in person to the Embassy or Consulate for the applicant's state.
Source: Embassy of the PRC in the United States: Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (updated September 2025)
Policy U.S. nationals are among 57 nationalities eligible for 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit when travelling on to a third country, through 65 designated ports, with an ordinary passport and confirmed onward ticket. Work, study and news reporting still need a visa.
Source: National Immigration Administration: Visa-Free Transit Policies (policy interpretation, 20 August 2026)
Policy The Form V.2013 visa application form asks: "Do you have any criminal record in China or any other country?"
Source: Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China (Form V.2013), item 3.3 (cited by name)
Recheck: Seen only in copies of the paper form hosted by third parties; confirm the question in the current online COVA form.

Registration or reporting after arrival

Finding No published rule found as of October 27, 2026. No rule requiring foreign sex offenders to register or report after arrival was found.
Law Every foreigner's accommodation must be registered: hotels report guests to the police, and those staying elsewhere (or their hosts) must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival (Exit and Entry Administration Law, art. 39).
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)
Law A foreigner serving a criminal sentence, or who is a suspect or defendant in a criminal case, may not leave China; unsettled civil cases and unpaid wages can also block exit (art. 28). The State Department warns that exit bans may be imposed without written notice.
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province); U.S. Department of State: China International Travel Information

Residency, employment and housing

Law Foreigners who work in China need a work permit and a work-type residence permit (Exit and Entry Administration Law, art. 41). A residence permit may be refused to anyone ineligible "because of violation of relevant Chinese laws" or in other circumstances the issuing authority considers (art. 31).
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)
Policy A work permit application must include proof of no criminal record issued by the police, court or other authority of the applicant's country of nationality or habitual residence, certified by a Chinese embassy or consulate.
Source: Beijing Municipal Government: Notification Letter of Foreigner's Work Permit, application materials
Law Bodies in close contact with minors (schools, kindergartens, training institutions, child welfare and care services, domestic-service agencies, medical providers for minors and others) must check applicants with the police and procuratorate for sexual assault and similar records and may not hire anyone with such a record; staff are checked yearly (Law on the Protection of Minors, arts. 62, 130). Breaches are fined (art. 126).
Source: Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors (2020 revision), arts. 62, 98, 126, 130 (Supreme People's Court Gazette)
Law Schools must refuse to hire, and must dismiss, staff found to have sexual offence information, and teacher qualification is refused (2020 joint opinion, art. 12). The opinion also applies to universities and off-campus training for minors (art. 17).
Source: Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Security: Opinion on Establishing the Pre-Employment Inquiry System for Sexual Offence Information of School Staff (20 August 2020), as republished by Lanshan County Public Security Bureau
Recheck: The opinion's database is built from Chinese records; whether foreign convictions are captured is not stated.

Removal, rehabilitation or waivers

Law A foreigner who commits a crime in China may be deported as a sole or additional punishment (Criminal Law, art. 35).
Source: Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, art. 35 (deportation), English text (Supreme People's Procuratorate)
Law For a serious violation of the Exit and Entry Administration Law that is not a crime, the Ministry of Public Security may deport; its decision is final and the person may not enter China for 10 years from deportation (art. 81).
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)
Law A foreigner who falls within the grounds for refusing entry, or who resides or works illegally, may be repatriated and barred from entering for 1 to 5 years (art. 62).
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)
Law Once the no-entry period ends, the art. 21(1) bar no longer applies, though the other refusal grounds still do.
Source: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2012), English text (source NPC, published by the People's Government of Henan Province)

What U.S. rules still apply

Law U.S. law still applies to the trip itself: registrants must report international travel at least 21 days in advance, and the U.S. may notify the destination country before arrival. See the U.S. travel guide for the notice rule, the passport identifier and how notifications work.
Source: ComplianceAtlas: Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant

Read Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant before booking.

Sources

Legal Disclaimer

International laws, immigration policies, and registry requirements change frequently and may vary depending on citizenship, visa type, offense history, and purpose of travel. Entry decisions are made solely by each country's immigration authorities. Always verify current requirements using official government sources before traveling. This page is not legal advice.